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Update on outdoor dining program implementation and application processing
3:37:12
ยท
3 min
Commissioner Rodriguez provides a comprehensive update on the implementation of the new outdoor dining program and the progress of application processing.
- Nearly 3,000 applications have been conditionally approved as of the current date
- The program has expanded from 200 pre-COVID dining out locations to thousands across the city
- Sidewalk dining is year-round, while roadway dining will start on April 1
- Conditionally approved businesses can begin setting up roadway dining structures starting next Tuesday
- The program is described as the largest and best in the nation, competing only with Paris
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:37:12
Thank you.
3:37:13
I'm gonna move to outdoor dining.
3:37:16
According to a recent report on outdoor dining by the comptroller, just 40 out of 4,000 outdoor dining applications have been processed since the new outdoor dining law took effect.
3:37:27
Also, the fiscal twenty twenty five November plan added a hundred and $76,000 for additional eight headcount positions to process outdoor dining applications.
3:37:41
Have all of these positions been filled?
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:37:44
Yes.
3:37:45
And not only those positions that, you know, we had a great divisional inspectors and and review of planners.
3:37:54
So we have dozens of members in in right now working as we are speaking and reviewing all the application.
3:38:03
One thing that we should know is that before COVID, our city, as a former council member, if you ask me in which area, basically, do you have sidewalk?
3:38:12
I can tell you which were them because there wasn't more than five.
3:38:15
So sidewalk used to be what is now dining out.
3:38:19
It's something that was only in the middle and upper class communities.
3:38:23
It is now that, you know, during COVID that we see thousand of, you know, restaurants responding to the need of how keeping distance, people putting tables and chairs.
3:38:34
I think that, you know, the dining out is one of the best sample level of collaboration between the council and city hall where we decided to learn, you know.
3:38:46
And you hold many hearing here.
3:38:49
You heard from the community about their feedback of dining out.
3:38:52
What used to be only a 200 dining out that we have in our city, by today we had almost 3,000 application being conditional approved.
3:39:04
As the bill was passed by the council, they had to be they had there's a process to a lot of reviewing through community board, elected official.
3:39:13
But I can say that we all, council and administration, we should be very proud that by April 1, there's gonna be already by today, there is almost 3,000 application being conditional approved.
3:39:26
The sidewalk as was voted by the city council can be a year round.
3:39:31
So that's establishment already they have the tables and chairs in the sidewalk.
3:39:35
But when it came to the roadway, the program will be starting on April 1.
3:39:40
And DOT is allowing those who've been condition approved to start next Tuesday, putting the setup already in the roadway.
3:39:50
New York City Dining Hour NYC is the largest and the best of the nation.
3:39:56
And we are only competing with Paris.
3:39:59
And that's because all the work that we did together, the council and the administration.
3:40:03
So anyone can say by x day there was forty, forty and sixty, but we have dosing of planning review that we have at DOT.
3:40:11
The most important and where we should focus about April 1.
3:40:14
So by April 1, there's gonna be around 3,000 application conditional approved.
3:40:21
Again, when we talk about the twelve thousand that we had during COVID, that was twelve thousand that happened from the '20.
3:40:27
Some people remove it.
3:40:29
When we went out to go one after another with our inspector, there was around 6,000 a business that they had they set off in the street.
3:40:40
So all of us should be very happy that by today, there's almost 3,000 application conditional approved.
3:40:46
Most of them already in with the tables and chairs in the on the roadway, which is a year around.
3:40:52
But the conditional that there that that the temporary one that go from April 1 to November 30, there's gonna be already the business owner, the restaurant owner, can start it next Tuesday if they're being conditioned approved putting the setup in the roadway.